How to Create a Homebrew Tap on GitHub

Edited 1 day ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS (and Linux) that helps users easily install software that Apple or the system does not provide by default. It works by managing the installation of software packages and their dependencies. "Tap" is an additional repository for Homebrew formulas. These formulas are scripts that describe how to install a specific package. Creating a Homebrew tap on GitHub allows you to easily distribute your software to users. Here, we will walk through the detailed steps to create your own Homebrew tap on GitHub.

Prerequisites

There are a few prerequisites before building a homebrew tap:

• GitHub account: You will need an account on GitHub to host your tap.
• Homebrew is installed on your system: This guide assumes that you already have Homebrew installed and configured on your computer. If not, visit the Homebrew site to install it.
• Basic knowledge of Git and GitHub: You should be familiar with repositories, cloning, and basic git commands.

Step 1: Create a GitHub repository

The first step is to create a new GitHub repository. This repository will serve as the home for your formulas. Follow these steps:

1. Log into your GitHub account and go to the Repositories page.
2. Click the “New” button to create a new repository.
3. Name your repository in this format: homebrew-<name>. For example, if you're creating a tap for a project named "awesome-tool", you could name the repository homebrew-awesome-tool.
4. Add a description for your repository (optional but recommended).
5. Do not initialize the repository with a README, .gitignore, or license, as these will be added later.
6. Click the "Create Repository" button.

Step 2: Clone the repository locally

Once your repository is created, you need to clone it to your local machine to start adding formula files. Here's how:

1. Copy the repository URL from GitHub. This URL can be obtained by clicking the "Code" button in your newly created repository.
2. Open your terminal.
3. Use git clone command to clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/<username>/homebrew-<name>.git

4. Navigate to the cloned repository directory:

cd homebrew -p <name>

Step 3: Create the formula file

Now it's time to create a formula file. This file contains all the information about how Homebrew should install your software. Follow these steps:

1. In the root of your local repository, create a new directory named Formula. This is where all your formula files will live:

The mkdir formula

2. Navigate to Formula directory:

CD Formula

3. Create a new Ruby file for your formula. The file name should be the name of your software with .rb extension. For example, create awesome-tool.rb for "awesome-tool":

touch awesome-tool.rb

Step 4: Write the formula

Next, edit the formula file and add the necessary Ruby code to determine how to install your software. Here's a simple example of what could be inside awesome-tool.rb:

class AwesomeTool < Formula
    Description "Amazing tool is a great utility for amazing things"
    Homepage "https://example.com/awesome-tool"
    URL "https://example.com/awesome-tool-v1.0.tar.gz"
    sha256 "examplechecksumvaluehere1234567890abcdef"
    Version "1.0"

    def install
        bin.install "Awesome Tools"
    Ending
Ending

Explanation of the code:

• class AwesomeTool < Formula : This line defines the formula class and inherits from Homebrew's Formula class.
• desc : A short description of your software.
• homepage : The URL of the software's homepage.
• url : The URL from which the software source code or binary can be downloaded.
• sha256 : The SHA256 checksum of the file downloaded from the URL. This verifies the integrity of the file.
• version: The version of the software.
• def install : This method defines how to install the software. bin.install copies the executables to a Homebrew-managed directory.

Step 5: Commit and push your changes

1. After writing the formula, save the file.
2. Go back to the root of your repository:

CD..

3. Use the following git commands to stage, commit, and push your changes to GitHub:

git add .
git commit -m "Add awesome tool formula"
git push origin main

Step 6: Test your faucet

Before sharing your tap with others, it's important to test it to make sure it works as expected:

1. To use your tap, first add it to Homebrew with the following command:

brew tap <username>/<name>

2. Install your software using brew install command:

brew install awesome-tools

3. Verify that the software is installed and functioning as expected.

Step 7: Maintain your faucet

Once your tap is deployed, it's important to maintain it. This includes updating formulas with new software versions and keeping an eye on any issues users encounter. Here are some tips:

• When a new version of your software is released, update version, url, and sha256 in your formula file.
• Use git workflow to commit and push updates to your tap.
• Respond to any issues or pull requests submitted to your repository.

Additional tips

Here are some additional tips and best practices to keep in mind when building and maintaining a homebrew tap:

• Write clear and simple formulas. Make sure each formula is easy to read and understand.
• Use meaningful commit messages to document changes.
• Wherever possible, make sure your formulas have meaningful test cases.
• Engage with the community by discussing issues and welcoming contributions.
• Check the Homebrew documentation regularly for updates on any best practices or changes.

Creating a Homebrew tap on GitHub is a great way to distribute your software to a wide audience with minimal hassle. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up a tap and enable users to easily install your software via Homebrew. Whether for personal use or mass distribution, leveraging a Homebrew tap can streamline software installation on macOS and Linux.

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